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The fever pitch that greeted Next has died down a bit. It seems more possible to get tickets these days— yet when they offer them on Twitter, they still go quickly. So will Next-mania ratchet up again for the new season? We're about to find out. Next just sent season subscribers from 2012 an email announcing details about the 2013 season. We've got the full text below, but here are some salient points first: The Hunt runs January 9 through April 28, and as they explain, "Wild game will be featured, but so too other foraged and forgotten foods and techniques." Vegan runs from May 8 to August 24, which is to say, prime growing season in the midwest. And Bocuse d'Or will run August 31 to December 31. Bocuse d'Or, like El Bulli, is a more elaborate and expensive meal offering only one seating per night— it will run $195 every night, versus $90 to $115 for the others (depending on day of the week). The date season tickets go on sale will be announced in the next few days; now here's the full announcement.

Our 2013 Season

Thank you for being a 2012 Season Subscriber!

It’s been a thrill for us to present ElBulli, Sicily, and Kyoto Kaiseki this year and the risks, hard work, and rewards of delicious food and shared experiences can been directly attributed to our relationship that is unique in the restaurant world. We thank you for your enthusiastic patronage!

For 2013 you will have the option to renew your subscription before the public. This email will explain how that will work, but first - what are we serving in 2013?

Our first menu -- THE HUNT - will begin January 9th and run through April 28th. Wild game will be featured, but so too other foraged and forgotten foods and techniques. It will prove a robust and adventurous meal for the peak of the Chicago winter.

Next up? VEGAN ! From May 8th to August 24th. Creativity often comes from imposing limits upon oneself and finding novel solutions within a framework of constraint. As Spring turns to Summer Next will feature a creative and ambitious menu without meat. Now, we at Next are the farthest thing from strict vegetarians but we are incredibly excited to be producing a menu of truly 4-star vegan cuisine. We look forward to welcoming a whole new set of customers to Next - and to surprising our omnivorous regulars!

And finally, our grand menu of the year - Bocuse D’or - Concours Mondial de la Cuisine. With chef Achatz serving as one of the coaches to the US team it seemed fitting to bring the Olympics of the Culinary World to Next. This is the real Top Chef challenge: contestents have 5 hours and 35 minutes to prepare elaborate presentations. While we will not be under these time constraints (and limits on the number of chefs!) we will create presentations representative of the contest - elaborate meat and fish platters - while expanding on the menu to create a complete - and interactive - experience. Our Bocuse D’or will run from August 31st to December 31st.

As with our ElBulli menu there will be an upcharge for the Bocuse D’or menu as we will serve far fewer patrons every evening. As before, we will be auctioning off one table of two each night with 100% of the proceeds donated to the US Bocuse D’or USA Foundation. Our goal is to raise awareness of the competition within the US and to support the US team with the ultimate goal of a US victory.

Season Ticket Subscription

In the next few days you will receive an email and we will post on our Facebook page and Twitter account the date that season tickets will go on sale.

YOU MUST LOG IN WITH THE E-MAIL ASSOCIATED WITH YOUR 2012 SEASON TICKETS.

Access for that day will be restricted solely to 2012 season ticket holders.

You may renew for any size party and any day of the week.

We recognize that those people who have a prime time seat or kitchen table may prefer that we renew exactly the same subscription as 2012, but we also received a great many requests for upgrades. Ultimately, we feel that it is best to allow our subscribers some flexibility and this seems the fairest way to accomplish that.

• choose the day of the week for your subscription
• choose the party size - 2, 4, or 6. Please remember that our only 6-top is our Kitchen Table.
• choose your beverage pairings.

You will then be given a choice of days for each menu once you select three dates you can checkout.

We’ve streamlined the process significantly and because there are more tables available this year than last (by a few) every subscriber will be guaranteed the ability to renew. Our renewal process will last two days at which time we will open any remaining tables to the public.

Thank you

Entering our third year we could not be more excited by the opportunity you have given us to create unique dining experiences. We strive to exceed your expectations and genuinely appreciate the amazing community of food lovers that has formed around Next. THANK YOU!